Sunscreens may cause vitamin D deficiency

Applying sunscreen may make you deficient in vitamin D, increasing your risk of muscle weakness and bone fractures, new research warns.

Researchers from Touro University California in the US found that nearly 1 billion people worldwide may have deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D due to chronic disease and inadequate sun exposure related to sunscreen use.

“People are spending less time outside and, when they do go out, they are typically wearing sunscreen, which essentially nullifies the body’s ability to produce vitamin D,” said Kim Pfotenhauer, assistant professor at Touro University.

“While we want people to protect themselves against skin cancer, there are healthy, moderate levels of unprotected sun exposure that can be very helpful in boosting vitamin D,” Pfotenhauer said.